Sand Addiction - August 2007 - (Page 44) from the dunes to the track. sxs racing ally televised event) this has now opened many more doors, and eyes, to this action-packed type of racing. Along with the CORR series, other race series have been picking up the Side X Side class. Best In The Desert has had UTVs racing in their desert series now for over a year, and at last year’s SCORE Baja 500 race, a Polaris Ranger made it across the finish line, the first SXS to complete this epic race. That’s quite a feat for a machine that was designed for working on the farm, not traveling top speed through 3’ whooped-out washes. Not only have some of the local sand residents been getting in on the race action, but also some of our neighborhood sand car builders have taken interest in the race scene. Chad George, boy wonder behind the wheel of a sand car and son of Grant George, owner of Funco Motorsports, has taken his love for speed and racing and is applying it on the West Coast Side X Side racing circuit. I was able to see Chad’s first race in Lake Elsinore, CA during a Podium Production race, and as I watched his bone-stock Yamaha Rhino pass modified and semi-modified race vehicles, I knew that he was going to be hooked. Like most racers in this sport, Chad only needed a taste of this new competitive type of racing to know that he wanted more. And like most, Chad knew that, while he could still do well out on the track with his stock machine, his Rhino was going to need after-market accessories and some custom work to move up the ranks and play with the big dogs. Grant is currently working on a new Race Rhino, using his skills and background of sand car manufacturing to build a machine that his son Chad can be more competitive in, as well as being a safer race vehicle. (And no, it doesn’t look like a mini-van.) Top: The driver of the SoCal Fab car makes a quick recovery at the SXS National in Hesperia. Right: Chad George tears up the CORR raceway in his Funco sponsored Rhino. With Side X Side racing being such an affordable means of racing, it is no wonder why so many sand enthusiasts are getting into this new race scene. Many of the short-course tracks and series out today offer a stock class for all UTVs. This makes it great for those who want to try out SXS racing but don’t want to spend half their life savings doing it. I had the chance to race a bone-stock Polaris Ranger 44 www.sandaddiction.com 700XP at a recent M4SX race in Imperial County and this was, by far, one of the greatest off-road experiences of my life. So, this summer while the sand gods are baking up the dunes, bust that UTV out of storage and go race! Most classes are under $100 to enter and require basic safety equipment that can be purchased at many of your local off-road dealers. For a list of races happening in your area log on to: www.planetsxs.com or www.sidexsideaction.com http://www.planetsxs.com http://www.sidexsideaction.com http://www.sidexsideaction.com http://www.sandaddiction.com
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